Thai PM accused of fabricating plot to kill him

AN army general sacked over an alleged assassination attempt against prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday the plot had been made up by the Thai leader himself.

General Pallop Pinmanee, deputy chief of the Internal Security Operations Command, was sacked shortly after powerful explosives were found in a car near Mr Thaksin’s Bangkok home and an army lieutenant driving the vehicle was arrested. The junior officer had once been Gen Pallop’s driver.

Gen Pallop said the explosive device was not wired to go off and questioned why the driver drove past the house several times instead of triggering the explosive.